One of Pat Burns’ Go-To Guys wonders where it went.
The very night the Devils coach took Jeff Friesen off the first line, Burns later declared Friesen, Scott Gomez and Patrik Elias as the scorers on whom they depend in tight games, about the only sort the Jerseyans play.
Friesen scored 10 goals in last year’s playoff run, four of them game-winners, and although he disappeared in the games at Anaheim, from where he’d come to Jersey, he re-established his reputation as a force.
Then he started this season. Or, more precisely, this season started. Friesen has yet to pick up where he left off June 9.
“Let’s face it. As a team, we’re in great position, but I know this hasn’t been a great first half for me,” Friesen said.
The left wing entered last night’s Meadowlands game against the Penguins sixth in team scoring at 8-9-17 in 38 games. He scored 23 goals last year in his first season with the Devils before his playoff eruption.
He tried not to be perplexed at Burns’ declaration.
“That’s the way it has to be. You have to expect that of yourself,” said Friesen, acquired in the Petr Sykora deal. “It’s the way you’d like to be thought of, as a guy who scores big goals.”
Friesen said he expected to remain with Mike Rupp and Grant Marshall last night, after Burns broke him away from Gomez and Elias in Monday’s 3-2 victory over Edmonton. He tried to remain positive about the apparent demotion.
“It’s never affected me one way or the other,” Friesen said. “If changes are made, it doesn’t bother me. I’ve played with a lot of different lines in my career.
“It’s a matter of getting some chemistry going. There are only a couple of players who can go out and make things happen on their own. When you find that chemistry, you have success. I think Rupp could be a great centerman for me.”
But a Go-To Guy getting less than 14 minutes ice-time, as Friesen and Gomez each did Monday, isn’t likely to get much going. That’s one of the consequences of relying so much on a checking line.
Ken Daneyko Night is tomorrow, honoring the all-time Devil when Tampa visits the Meadowlands. The Devils play at Toronto on Saturday … Eric Rasmussen was expected to return to action after missing three games with a shoulder separation … Aleksander Suglubov (wrist) and Christian Berglund (hip) joined Jamie Langenbrunner (knee) and Corey Schwab (groin) on Devils’ shelf … The Pens had lost four straight and learned Tuesday that Mario Lemieux won’t be back to help them this season, facing hip surgery.
